Billing and content question

Hello everyone! I hope Mythic Magazine #9 is going well with you. I've already heard some positive feedback about the behavior system, which makes me happy :)

I have a question for you Tier 3 people, since you are my Creative Council. This is more about policy with the Patreon page. I am considering making a change in how the Patreon charges and how content is made available. I'll admit my ignorance to the ways of Patreon up front, since this is all fairly new to me, so your thoughts and advice is most welcome.

First, the concern: When someone joins they have access to all issues of the magazine right away. They also are not required to pay until the next 1st of the month rolls around. I'm wondering if this is unfair to long-time Patrons.

What I'm considering: 

• Changing the billing to billing up front, so a new Patron is charged as soon as they join. This is basically a cost for access to back issues, and prevents someone from joining, downloading, then unjoining.

• Limiting how many back issues are available. I could make it so that a certain number of issues are always downloadable from the Patreon, like the last two or three issues. As an issue ages past that the download link would no longer be available.

In terms of current Patrons, the change in billing wouldn't impact you. Patreon would still charge on the 1st of the month. It would only be felt by new members, and current members who choose to upgrade their account (if you go from the $4 tier to the $6, Patreon would charge you the $2 difference right away).

With the magazine, you would no longer have all the back issues available here to download beyond the limit I set. The posts would still be there, and any discussions under them, but the active links to content would cease.

I'm not really sure if one way is better than another. Patreon exists to give people a way to support creators, not so much to be a marketplace. Also, I'm okay with the current "honor system", where I trust if someone likes my material they will join and stay.

I suppose I'm thinking a bit down the road, to when there are 20+ Mythic Magazines in here, and the discrepancy between what past Patrons and new Patrons have paid versus what they get will be wider.

I welcome your thoughts on this!